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W. J. HOTCHKISS.

FOOD CONTAINER 0R LUNCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, I919.

Patented July 22, 1919,

3 SHEETSSHEET l w.1. HOTCHKISS.

A PPLICATION HL'ED MAR. 8,1919.

FOOD CONTAINER 0R LUNCH BOX.

Patented July 22, 1919.

3 SHEE TSSHEET 2.

gmowtoz THE COLUMBIA PLANUORAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

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w.1. HOTCHKISAS.

FOOD CONTAINER 0R LUNCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 1919.

1 ,3 1 0,57 1 Patented July 22, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- vwemlroz (lttmnu;

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrion.

WALLACE J'. -HOTGHKISS, OF ALPENA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FOOD-CONTAINER OR, LUNCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed March 8,1919. Serial No. 281,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VALLAGE: J. HOTOH- KISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alpena, in the county of J erauld and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Food- Containers or Lunch-Boxes, of which .the

following is a specification, reference being a the sections when the sections all swing out of abutting relation.

'A' further-object is to provide improved means" for holding the sectlons in thelr 'abutted relation and preventing accidental disengagement of the sections but permitting the" sections to be disengaged and swung uponeach other-when desire And a further object inithis connection is to? provide a latching device which'is socon- :nected to the-bail that when the lunch box or receptacle is carried by the bail,the strain on the bail will hold the sections in their engaged or abutted positions. 7

Other objects have to do withthe details of construction and arrangement of parts,

as will appear hereafter.

My invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 1s a perspective view of a dinner .fpail or lunch box constructed in accordance with myinvention:

have any desired form and each of these sections is preferably made of thin sheet metal. These sections are open at their adjacent ends but otherwise closed and one section is hinged to the other by hinges 10, certain of the leaves of the hinge being attached to the section A, while certain other leaves are attached to the section B. These two sets of sections are connected by a vertically extending pintle 11. It will thus be seen that these sections may swing with relation to each other froman abutted position to a more Or less parallel position. The upper end of the pintle 11 is formed with an eye 12and a bail 13 is, at one end, formed with a hook to engage said eye. At the opposite side of the device, the section B is provided with an outwardly extending tongue 14 which is verticallygrooved or recessed, as at 15, and when the section B is closed against the section A, this tongue engages beneath a keeper 16. This tongue fits the keeper snugly so as to assist the hinges in supporting the sections inthe same vertical plane and take off the strain on the hinges.

Pivotally mounted upon the lower end of the section A adjacent its inner, openend, is

a vertical rod 17 formed with an eye 18 at its upper end for engagement with the hook of the handle or bail 13. This locking rod 17 at its lower end is disposed in a socket member 19 which, atits lower end,'is formed with an opening 20 through which the lower, angularly bent end of the rod 17 passes so as to form a pivotal support for this rod. This socket has a straight side Wall 21 and an inclined side wall 22- and is, of course, open at its upper end so that the rod 17 may be oscillated within the socket into or out of its locking position. When the section B is abut-ted against the section A and the tongue 14: is inserted within the the two sections will be locked in abutting relation. Furthermore, when thebail 13 is connected to the eyes 12 and 18 and the lunch box is lifted, it will be obvious that the rod 17 will beheld from anymovement which would tend to accidentally detach the rod from the groove 15 of the tongue.

Each of the sections A and B maybe divided into compartments, but preferably these compartments carry a plurality of drawer-like receptacles'or shelves. For instance, Ihave illustrated thesectionA. as being divided longitudinally by a horizontal partition 23 and as carrying an upper and a lower receptacle 24 and 25 respectively, these receptacles being of any suitable character and fitting the section snugly. These drawer-like receptacles may have a side wall extending entirely around the margin of the bottom of the receptacle or partially around this bottom, depending upon the character of the food to be carried, and each ofthese food-carrying receptacles 24 and 25 is formed with a handle 26 projecting very slightly from the front of the receptacle whereby the receptacle may be withdrawn from the section.

I have illustrated the section B as being divided into three compartments. One of these compartments extends the full height of the section and carries in it a relatively large drawer-like receptacle 27 which may be divided into a number of compartments if desired, and which may be used for carrying liquids. Of course, it is obvious that this particular receptacle has a cover 27 and fits the top of the section closely so as to prevent any slopping out of the liquid. On the other side of the vertical partition 28, which divides the section B, there is one or more horizontal partitions 29, and I have shown upper and lower drawer-like receptacles 30 and 31 respectively disposed in this side "of the section. These receptacles may also be provided with an exterior, upstanding rim and I have illustrated one of these drawer-like receptacles 24 as being provided with the upstanding, medially disposed wall 32.

I do not wish to be limited at all as to the number of these receptacles which may be disposed in any section, their arrangement, or the details of their construction. A cup 83, which may be of sheet metal, may be carried in one of the receptacles or shelves, and I have illustrated this cup as triangular in form so that it'may be laid flat down upon the shelf and accommodate itself to the angles of the receptacle. Preferably, though not necessarily, the top of the two sections A and B will be of an ornamental character. Thus, it may be longitudinally corrugated or may be formed with ornamental bosses or protuberances, or be stamped out in ornamental form. It is only necessary that the two sections shall fit closely against each other so that the heat or aroma from the food shall not escape.

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular configuration, form, or contour of this structure, as it may be varied in many ways and yet remain the principle of my invention.

I claim 1. A lunch box of the character described comprising two sections hinged to each other at one side, thesections being open at their adjacent ends, drawer-like receptacles disposed withineach section and held within their respective sections by abutting against each other when the sections are closed, and a latch member carried upon the free side of one of the sections, a keeper on the other section with which the latch member engages, and a latch device on the last named section engaging with the latch member on the first named section.

2. A lunch box of the character described comprising two sections hinged to each other at one side, the sections being open at their adjacent ends, drawer-like receptacles disposed within each section and held within their respective sections by abutting against each other when the sections are closed, a resilient tongue carried upon the free side of one of the sections, a keeper carried upon the free side of the other section and into which said tongue is insertible when the sections are closed, the tongue being vertically recessed, and a locking rod engageable with said recess or disengageable therefrom.

3. A lunch box of the character described comprising two sections hinged to each other at one side, the sections being open at their adjacent ends, drawer-like receptacles disposed within each section and held within their respective sections byabutting against each other when the sections are closed, a resilient tongue carried upon the free side of one of the sections, a keeper carried upon the free side of the other section and into which said tongue is insertible when the sections are closed, the tongue being vertically recessed, and a locking rod engageable with said recess or disengageable therefrom, said locking rod having means for engagement with a bail.

4. A lunch box of the character described comprising two sections hinged to each other at one side, the sections being open'at their adjacent ends, drawer-like receptacles disposed within each section and held within their respective sections by abutting against each other when the sections are closed, a resilient tongue mounted upon the free side of one of the sections, a keeper mounted upon thefree side of the other section into which said tongue is insertible when the sections are abutted, said tongue being longitudinally grooved, a I vertically disposed socket carried upon the free side of the last named section and having a lateral opening at its lower end, and a locking rod inserted vertically downward through the socket and angularly bent at its lower end to pass through said perforation to thereby form a fulcrum for the rod, said rod being engageable with the groove in the tongue to lock the sections to each other.

5. A lunch box of the character described formed of two sections adapted to be shifted sections having slidable receptacles mounted therein, hinged leaves attached to the respective sections on one side thereof, a pintle engaging through the hinged leaves and formed with an eye at its uper end, a resilient tongue mounted on the side wall of one of the sections, a keeper mounted upon the side Wall of the other section into which said tongue is inserti'ble when the sections are abutted, alocking rod pivotally connected to the last named section for movement in a planeparallel to the side wall of the section and adapted to engage in said groove, the rod being formed with an eye at its upper end, and a bail adapted to detachably engage the eye on the pintle and on said locking rod.

6. A container of the character described comprising two sections, each open at one end, the open end of the sections being adapted to be abutted against each other and carrying a plurality of drawer-like receptacles shiftable into or out of the sections and held in closed position by the abutting of the sections, means for detach- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ably engaging the sections with each other in abutted relation and including hinge members attached to one side of the section, and locking means engaging the other side of the section.

7. A container of the character described comprising two open ended sections hinged to each other so that the open ends of the sections may be disposed in abutting relation, means for detachably locking said sections in abuting relation and including a bail, each of said sections being divided into compartments [by vertical and horizontal partitions, illIlCl a plurality of slidabl'e drawer-like food receptacles disposed in said compartments and having their outer ends formed to fit the walls of said compartments closely, said receptacles having side walls.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE J. HOTOHKISS.

Witnesses:

A. J. AISENBREY, J OHN J. FEISK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G." 

